Thanksgiving Epiphanies
by RobertDowneyJrLove
Summary: No matter how hard she tried, no matter what she did in the eyes of the only person that mattered, she just never quite matched up to the fiery red-head. Because in Brock's eyes, there was no-one like Reba.


He never pouted or whined to soften her.

That's the first thing she noticed after nearly four years of marriage, a seperation and a Thanksgiving. The kitchen had been filled with tense silence, with both her and Reba refusing to give in. Brock hadn't given her a second glance before he had turned to Reba and turned on the pout and whined slightly. The adorably childish whine that had Reba giving in not thirty seconds later. It took her nearly a week but she finally realized why it sounded so strange to hear him whine-because he had never done it to soften her up. He always pouted and whined to Reba, because he knew her weak spot. He didn't know Barbra-Jean's weak spot and that hurt.

He never noticed any hair changes she made.

One of the most notable things, that she had noticed not even a month after the Thanksgiving incident in the kitchen, was that he had never once commented on her shorter, straighter hair. Yet he had noticed immediately when Reba had grown her hair out and had flipped the ends up in a soft curl that made her look so sweet and accented her perfect blue eyes. The fiery red hair which had been the petite fire-cracker's trademark was still sexy to her ex-husband. Barbra-Jean knew she could never compare to Reba because her blonde hair would never compete with the fiery red hair that belonged to her husband's ex-wife.

He always bickered and bantered with Reba-but never with her.

This was something that everyone noticed. Despite being divorced, they still acted like the best of friends. They bickered and bantered accompanied by the occasional slaps to the shoulder or back or even the back of the head on those rare occasion when he could get the red-head riled up in a playful sort of way that made her hits seem a little less vengeful. They laughed together, joked with each other and in some odd way that she had never noticed before, they completed each other. The tall blonde dentist and the short, fiery red-head made for one hot, fiery dynamic duo.

All of the little things had eventually built up into one big thing. She knew she probably should have seen it coming and later she'd learn that Cheyenne, Kyra and Van had a bet on when that would happen. She just hadn't expected it to be so soon. The sexual tension between them had built up and she knew it was only a matter of time before it happened.

Unfortunately she had walked in on it too and it had not been pleasant. Watching your husband kiss his ex-wife who seemed a little too wrapped up in it for a woman who claimed to be over him, was not something she had ever wanted to do. Then again, she had taken him from her, she figured it was karma coming back to bite her in the butt.

It always had with her-perpetually coming back to bite her in the butt time and again and she figured now was no different. Karma had always had something against her, some vengeance for every single one of her actions. The perpetual determination of karma to come back and bite her in the rear had always been something she had tried to avoid, a battle she fought with a hellish determination, yet somehow karma always won and what do you know, she lived to regret most of her choices. Her current relationship with karma was like her current relationship with her husband, tipping the balance of a love-hate relationship more towards the latter end of the spectrum.

The little things that Brock did with or for Reba was, in hindsight, karma coming back to bite her in the butt. She had torn the man away from the only woman he had ever truly loved. She had taken advantage of the vulnerability that his seperation from Reba had left him with. She had seen him as vulnerable prey and had gone in for the kill only to have karma come back and bite her in the butt. In hindsight, she probably could have prevented this if she had just left him alone instead of pushing him until he broke. She pressed, flirted and for a while, it seemed like she was telling him everything he wanted to hear-or needed to hear.

She had wanted so bad to hate Reba. She tried to use her hellish determination to conjure up some sort of hate or resentment towards the woman for snagging and keeping the man she had wanted forever. Even after the divorce, although Reba would never admit this, Brock was still hers. Brock was oblivious and Reba was in denial but they both knew somewhere deep inside that no matter what happened, they'd always belong to each other, because that's how it's always been.

So instead of trying to force a reconciliation that would just leave them resenting each other, she'll write a long letter explaining her departure from his life and her actions. She'll file for divorce, sign over full custody of Henry, and leave for Lubbock. She'll explain in the letter that he doesn't need her, that he already has everything he needs or wants in the woman she at one time called her best friend.

And tonight, when he gets home from work, after a quick stop at Reba's to say hello and to pick up Henry, he'll find the letter, the divorce and the custody papers. He'll try to act like he's torn up about it, but all he can think about is the fiery red-head down the street who's always there when he needs her most.

As she drives out of Houston and back to her hometown, she'll try her hardest to hate and resent them both, but she'll come to realize later that she was stupid for ever trying to separate them in the first place. This time, she's sure of her decision-to leave him and let Reba win.

Karma doesn't win this round.

* * *

**I think the Thanksgiving episode came as a real epiphany to Barbra-Jean and to Reba as well. It came as a shock to Reba to learn that she was basically the glue that kept that dysfunctional family from crumbling to pieces when things got hard. I think it also kind of dawned on Barbra-Jean that no matter how hard she tries, no matter what she does, the entire family is still going to worship Reba. She'd never compare in their eyes, even in Brock's. I think it hurt her and I think if she ever were to witness them kiss like I had her do here, she'd leave. Anyway, that is all. **

**Love ya, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove**


End file.
